Lovas-Kiss
Ádám első szerzőségével megjelent cikkünk a Lengyel Botanikai Társaság
folyóiratában. A munka során azt vizsgáltuk, hogy a tőkés réce
emésztőrendszerének milyen hatása van a tekert csüdfű magjainak
csíraképességére.
A teljes
cikk letölthető innen.
Abstract
It was proposed previously that passive dispersal by
migratory aquatic birds explain the widespread distribution of many wetland
organisms. Several experimental studies have shown that many widespread wetland
plant species can be readily dispersed within the guts of Anatidae. However, it
is unclear whether plants with a more restricted distribution are able to
disperse via waterbirds. This paper addresses the dispersal ability and
germination ecology of the little-known Hungarian milkvetch Astragalus
contortuplicatus, which occurs on banks of continental rivers and has a
limited and unpredictable distribution. To test whether limited capacity for endozoochory
by waterfowl could explain the sporadic appearance of this species, we
force-fed ten captive mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) with 100 milkvetch
seeds each. Droppings were collected for up to 45 h after feeding. Intact and
viable seeds were found in the droppings of each mallard, and altogether 24.7%
of seeds fed were recovered intact. The proportion of retrieved seeds that
germinated (27.0%) was significantly higher than that of untreated control
seeds (0.5%), but significantly lower than that of mechanically scarified seeds
(96.0%). Retrieved seeds that germinated developed into healthy mature plants.
Given the average flight velocity of mallards, seeds of A. contortuplicatus may
travel up to 1600 km
inside the digestive tract of migrating individuals. Our results suggest that
avian vectors may be more important for the dispersal of rare higher plants
(especially those with a hard seed-coat) than hitherto considered. Moreover,
they suggest that rarity does not necessarily indicate limited dispersal
ability, and may instead be explained by specific habitat requirements.
Hivatkozás
Lovas-Kiss Á., Sonkoly J., Vincze O., Green A. J., Takács
A. & Molnár V. A. (2015): Strong potential for endozoochory
by waterfowl in a rare,
ephemeral wetland plant species (Astragalus
contortuplicatus, Fabaceae). – Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 84(3):
321–326.